It is common knowledge that baggage such as purses and luggage are often the objects of thieves. In the past, the main focus of foiling such thieves has been on locks and other devices which impede entry into the baggage. The problem with mere locks is that the lock itself does nothing to deter the thief from taking and opening the baggage; the lock merely slows the thief's entry into the baggage. In other words, locks do not scare the thieves away; they merely delay the time in which the thieves gain access to the stolen goods.
One way to scare a thief away is with an audible alarm. Many inventions exist which sound an alarm if unauthorized access to the object is attempted. One such known invention is U.S. Pat. No. 5,164,706, issued to Yoky Chen on Nov. 17, 1992. Chen teaches a sensor to be placed on luggage which sounds an alarm if someone or something gets too close to the baggage. However, the Chen alarm sounds if anything gets within this range. This would include other baggage. Since the baggage may be in close proximity to other baggage in the cargo hold of a plane, for instance, the owner would have to disable the alarm while it is in the cargo hold. However, a thief might intercept the baggage after the owner disarms the alarm.
Another known invention, U.S. Pat. No. 3,701,140, issued to Richard W. Dixon on Oct. 24, 1972, sets off an alarm when the baggage is pulled from the owner's grasp. Unfortunately, this means that the owner must be in direct danger for an alarm to sound. In addition, the alarm will not be activated if the baggage is merely picked up off of a counter or conveyor belt. Nor does an alarm sound when an unauthorized person opens the baggage.
An invention by Chun-Chang Kuo, U.S. Pat. No. 5,043,702, issued on Aug. 27, 1991, tries to solve the problem with an approach opposite to that of the Chen invention. In the Kuo invention, when the owner gets too far away from the baggage, an alarm sounds. However, much like the Chen invention, the drawback with the Kuo invention is that an owner often must be far away from the bag, as when it is in a cargo hold. At these times, to prevent annoying, false alarms, the owner must disable the alarm. This, however, leaves the bag vulnerable when it most needs protection, that is when it is out of the owner's sight as well as control.
To solve these types of problems, inventions in other fields have utilized cables to be wrapped around objects. When the cable or other connection is broken, as when entry is forced, an alarm sounds. For instance, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,019, issued to Terry D. Woodward and Brenda G. Woodward on Apr. 28, 1992, a gun holster is equipped with a strap which snaps closed to keep the gun secure in the holster. The snapped strap completes a circuit which, when broken to remove the gun, sounds an alarm. Such a device, which merely snaps closed, still makes entry into the compartment to be protected much too easy. A thief could have the strap unsnapped and the contents removed before anyone could respond to an alarm.
Another known invention utilizing a strap is U.S. Pat. No. 4,188,622, issued to Lawrence G. Miller and Rowland B. Purmal on Feb. 12, 1980. Miller, et.al., teaches a strap which is considerably harder to remove. This strap, however, fits around a garbage can. The Miller strap does not impede entry. In fact, the alarm of the Miller invention can only sound if the alarm is placed on a garbage can made of an electrically conductive material and if the strap itself is struck with enough force to depress the strap against the can, as if the can is tipped over. While this may work to keep animals from tipping the can over, the device sounds no alarm if a deliberate attempt is made to remove the lid and take any of the contents.
Two other inventions sound an alarm if a circuit or strap is broken, U.S. Pat. No. 5,099,228, issued to Marcia Israel and Leo R. Close on Mar. 24, 1992, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,032,823, issued to Davis S. Bower, Ronald C. Davies, and Donald E. Garee on Jul. 16, 1991. Israel, et. al., teaches a pin stuck through clothing which completes the circuit when the pin is then secured in a tag. While this invention does sound a remote alarm when someone tampers with the tag, the invention does not suggest that it is for keeping an object closed. In fact, it is designed to be unobtrusive so that a customer may try on the clothing and not be bothered by the tag.
Bower, et. al., does teach a strap which, when broken, sounds an alarm. However, this strap is to be used on the wrist or ankle of a person who is subject to house arrest. Once again, as with Israel, et. al., Bower does not teach a strap which also keeps something closed.
The two known inventions which, until now, best address these problems are U.S Pat. No. 4,340,007, issued to Paul Hogan on Jul. 20, 1982, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,191,314, issued to Roger C. Ackerman, Robert B. Jones, Kenneth A. Tarlow, and Eric Dennison on Mar. 2, 1993. Both Hogan and Ackerman, et. al., teach a device in which the cable is conductive and completes the circuit. When the cable is cut, the circuit is broken and an alarm sounds. In both, cutting or breaking of the cable is rendered considerably harder by the material of which the cable is composed. In addition, in both of these inventions, the end of the cable which is properly removed by an authorized entrant is locked down when the alarm is enabled.
However, both Hogan and Ackerman, et. al., have drawbacks if used with baggage. For instance, the cables of both are of fixed length. Unless the cable is providently dimensioned to fit around the baggage an integral number of times, there will be considerable slack in the cable. This could at least cause the cable to be snagged while the baggage is moving and at worst make the cable and alarm simply slip off of the baggage. In addition, a cable of the type in these inventions does not aesthetically match most baggage.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide an alarm which impedes entry and sounds in the event of an unauthorized entry into the baggage.
Another object of the invention is to provide an alarm which need not be used in conjunction with electrically conductive baggage.
One more object of the present invention is to prove an alarm strap which can be dimensioned to fit snugly around baggage.
Yet another object of the present invention is to make the alarm strap aesthetically match the baggage on which it is used.
An additional object of the present invention is to secure the baggage in its closed position.